Mira Nair auctions off dinner date for $5,000

NEW YORK: A dinner date with Indian filmmaker Mira Nair does not come cheap.

The director recently auctioned off a dinner date for USD 5000 to raise funds for a charity organisation working against domestic violence.

Known for her social dramas like 'Salaam Bombay', 'The Namesake' and 'Monsoon Wedding', Nair raised the money for Sakhi, a non-profit group that works to create awareness against domestic violence in South Asian families of New York.

Nair, a longtime supporter of the group, had earlier raised USD 9000 in a similar auction.

"You got me for a discount," the filmmaker joked with the winner.

The dinner was organised to celebrate 20th anniversary of Sakhi.

The filmmaker, who has tackled subjects like immigration and sexual abuse within Indian families through her movies said, "The classic problem for all women is to be everything for everyone."

Nair said that the heart of the 'Monsoon Wedding' was the critical problem of sexual abuse within families. "Many women can suffer from isolation and most of all they need a Sakhi," she said.